The cyclist and swimmer joins the growing list of stars who'll be in the ballroom from September - with eight more yet to be confirmed14:03, 17 Jul 2026Updated 14:26, 17 Jul 2026The seventh Strictly Come Dancing contestant announced for this year’s show is the UK's most successful ever Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey.‌Her inclusion in the line-up, which includes reality star Dani Dyer and EastEnders actress Lacey Turner, is a first for the long-running TV series because they have never had a Dame compete before.‌Dame Sarah, 48, has a total of 30 Paralympic medals, including 19 gold medals, making her the most successful (by gold medals) and most decorated (by total medals) British Paralympian of all time. She was born without a left hand after it was tangled in the umbilical cord at birth.‌Having recently retired from sport, she said: “Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting. I have always loved watching Strictly and my daughter Louisa is a very talented dancer, so to be able to learn from the best and hopefully understand even more about her world, is incredibly motivating! I can’t wait to get started!"Storey started her career as a swimmer and competed at four Paralympic Games before switching to cycling, winning a total of 30 Paralympic medals across nine Games, including four golds at London 2012.‌The athlete married tandem pilot and coach Barney Storey in 2007. The couple have a 13-year old daughter, Louisa, and nine-year-old son, Charlie and the family lives in Disley, Cheshire.One insider described the signing as “really classy” . Former judge Darcey Bussell was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2018 New Year Honours but there has never been a Dame on the dance floor competing.The BBC have been drip-feeding their celebrity line-up to the public for the past month, with another eight celebrities still to come. This is in contract to the normal method of announcing them across one week in August.‌The other celebrities confirmed include two previous Love Island winners, Dani Dyer and Cach Mercer plus EastEnders star Lacey Turner, and fellow soap actress superstar Delta Goodrem.They will be joined by celebrity hairdresser Chris Appleton and Big Brother presenter Will Best.Lacey Turner was the first to be announced, declaring: "I am so excited to being making my way to the dance floor this year to be a part of Strictly Come Dancing ! I am a huge fan and can’t quite believe I will be taking part and not watching at home this year!"‌Dani was supposed to take part last year, but was forced to pull out after the launch show with a knee injury. Her spot was covered by fellow Love Island winner Amber Davies , who reached the final alongside Nikita Kuzmin .She quipped: “I just cannot wait to get my dancing shoes back on and hopefully this time around I can actually make it to week one!”‌Aussie singer songwriter Delta was next to be announced, following on from Stefan Dennis taking part last year. She said: “I’ve been incredibly honoured to perform on many different stages throughout my career - from tv, theatre, film sets, to touring my own shows around the world , there is however one stage I’ve never stepped onto and that is the ballroom floor.”Chris, who has worked his hairdressing magic on stars from Kim Kardashian to Katy Perry , said: "I’m thrilled to be joining Strictly Come Dancing and coming home to the UK for this incredible experience. I’ve always believed that the best things happen when you take a chance and try something new. I may know my way around a salon floor, but the dance floor is a whole different story - and I can’t wait to get started."Cach Mercer, is the most recent winner of Love Island, triumphing last summer alongside Toni Laites. He said: "I have grown up watching the show with my family and am so excited to now be part of the cast.”Article continues belowThis year will be the first for new hosts Emma Willis, Josh Widdecombe and former pro dancer Johannes Radebe who are taking over from Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman.Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.